Thursday, August 15, 2013

Get Caught Reading

It sounds almost too simple to be true . . . but it is true for sure! Make sure that your young child sees you reading, and you will be sending an important message.

You can be reading a book, newspaper, magazine, electronic device, or files on a computer. You can be checking a train schedule, sports scores, or stock prices. You can be following a recipe or trying to decipher instructions for assembling a piece of furniture.

Whenever your preschooler sees you reading--anything--make it into a big deal. Point it out. Show her that you are reading for a purpose--to learn something, to get something done, or just because you love it.

You are your child's first teacher. Show her that reading is a skill you engage in, and find useful and pleasurable. Model being a reader. Don't be shy about it. Get caught reading!

Thursday, August 1, 2013

Summer Reading

Are you planning to take a summer vacation? Be sure to pack some books for your preschooler. Not only will you most likely have time to kill in a car, train, bus, or airport . . . but you are bound to need some entertainment for rainy days or other slow times.

Think about packing some reliable favorites as well as some new surprises. A mix of familiar and novel books can be a winning combination.

If you are traveling to a new part of the country, plan  ahead and pick up some great reads that are set in that region--whether beach, farm, big city, mountains, or lakes.

Happy reading!




What I think . . .

There are all kinds of readers. Some—like my daughter and me—are never without a book to read for pleasure. Others—like my son—are careful, analytical, and curious readers who read primarily to seek information from the page.


No matter what kind of reader your child becomes, you can help him or her get started. After all, you are your child’s first teacher. And, best of all, you can have some fun in the process.


Please feel free to share your own ideas. Tell me about ways you've enjoyed reading with your child.


Madeline Boskey, Ph.D.